A Lesson in Rebellion
by TheBeingOfEverything
Summary: Hina leaves the Ice World to protect her unborn children. How does this affect everything? Watch out, world, there's a Koorime on the loose and she's not afraid to fight!
1. Chapter 1

(A/N) yes you read right, I am creating another chaptered fic right after I just- recently- began the first one. Don't judge!

So about this one: I've always been bothered by Hiei getting chucked off a floating ball of ice while his mama just stood there and cried like a little damsel in distress. Come on people, this is the same woman that had the strength to not only walk off her sheltered little island, but to also snag a fire demon? Her opposite element? A guy! My god that takes guts, especially from an ice maiden whose entire culture warns against those exact things. It's no wonder Hiei turned out so badass, he got it from his mom lol, (_though if Hiei got his badass-ness from mama, where'd Yukina get her cute little innocent act from? The world may never know XD *cough_daddy_cough*_)

So with that thought in mind, I bring you a 'what-if' situation in which I explore the HinaWithABackBone! possibility!

Enjoy!

* * *

There was nothing out of the ordinary the day that Hina walked down the streets of the ice world for the last time.

She greeted Rui like always, picked up some odds and ends at the market, and waved 'hello' to a few of the other ice apparitions milling about.

But if one were to actually _look_ at the 'odds and ends' she had purchased, they would notice that none of it was for immediate use and that some of it didn't make any sense at all.

_...Non-perishable food, _baby_ clothes... and a sharp, sharp sword..._

Hina smiled mildly at the sentries and they let her pass; after all, Hina was known for enjoying little strolls in the nearby woods and it was just another day, there was no cause for alarm.

They never noticed the sword nor the other questionable items held in a loose satchel across her back. It was not like they had any cause to be concerned, what could possibly happen? It never entered their minds to think that one of their own would run away, everyone knew the dangers the outside world presented to an unwary ice maiden.

Hina gave one last look at her village. It wasn't a very nice look.

She walked away.

* * *

The cries of two newly born infants greeted the world and their mother cooed and shushed at them. She was tired but happy and clutched the newborns to her chest in a gentle embrace.

They were twins, though it was hard to tell as the both had such different characteristics. The male had black hair and the female's was sea green but their identical red eyes and petite features betrayed their heritage. Both gave expectant looks at their mother and she laughed at how serious the boy's expression was in comparison to his sisters'.

The startling awareness in both their eyes was a shock to Hina at first, but she then remembered the few births that she had helped with in her village and those children had been the same.

Although, from what she had gathered from her travels thus far, most children born of the demon world shared that feature. If they hadn't had that awareness they'd be liable to die before they could make their first few steps. It was an unkind place to raise one's young, but most demons hardly cared. Offspring were generally just a waste of one's resources and many were left to fend for themselves from the moment of birth.

But then, that was why Hina was planning something rather outrageous. She refused to risk her most precious 'possessions'.

Hina was currently taking up residence in a shallow cave. She had been searching for someplace safer to give birth but the contractions had come on too soon and had forced her into the nearest shelter. She just hoped no one else came upon them at this moment. She was far to weak to fight, let alone run away with two children in her arms.

"So, what am I going to do with you two, hmm?" Her children looked up at her and the male reached out with a cute chubby hand to grasp at her hair. The girl merely gurgled happily and snuggled closer to Hina's chest.

"I suppose I should name you then," she said brightly, the feeling of completeness her family brought her lifting a weight she hadn't known existed.

"Hiei," he gave a cute little blink in acknowledgment, "and Yukina!" Hina leaned down and nuzzled her daughter's nose, eliciting another delighted gurgle from the little girl. She had worried that something would go wrong and tragedy would befall her before the babies could be born. But it looked like fate was smiling on their family and they could begin a new life away from her people's prejudices.

Yes, they would be okay.

She collected the two unique tear gems an ice maiden shed at birth- one for each child- wrapped her children in the prepared protective bindings, and left the cave.

It was time to begin the journey to the human world. She had heard of the renowned psychic Genkai's interest in helping peaceful demons. If she could get there, they would be safe.


	2. Chapter 2

(A/N) yep, this one could have been longer, but I decided it was better to cut it off there :)

So now we see how Hiei is, again, separated from his family. I'm so mean to the poor guy lol

Enjoy and please review!

* * *

A quiet 'snick' echoed shortly through a dense forest.

It was soon followed by a heavy thud, whose sound was also consumed by the endless vegetation. A figure darted out from an indiscernible vantage point within the foliage towards the source of the thud, leaving no trace of its presence behind.

Hina softly approached the creature she'd felled moments before but wasted no time in hefting it up and leaving the area. There was no telling who- or what- else had been around to hear the animal's death. The crude arrow of ice that pierced its eye was already melting, the water mixing with the thing's dark blood.

The ice-apparition made her way towards a hidden burrow where she could sense two faint energy sources. Hina smiled, her children were learning to smother their own youkai very well after such a short time. Though Hiei was struggling a bit more with the technique as his energy was already climbing incredibly high in the few days since he'd been born. Yukina took more after her mother, but her energy control was better than her twin's.

When she flared her youkai in greeting, two heads poked themselves out of the vine-covered burrow, eager to see what their mother had brought for them.

Unlike human children, demon offspring grew much more quickly and their dependence on milk lasted only a short while. They needed to be able to eat solids soon if abandoned by a parent. Luckily, Hina hadn't abandoned her children so they'd been nourished on mother's milk as well as provided a steady supply of solids afterwards.

"Hiei, could you help mommy with the fire?" The three sat in a secluded clearing next to a rock wall- to prevent an ambush- and Hina asked her fire-inclined child to use the powers he was already showing. She knew practice was key if he was going to be as good a fire-demon as his father.

While Hiei nodded and Yukina watched in apt interest at the display of power, Hina allowed herself to mechanically clean and set the meat on the fire.

The fire-demon who'd fathered her children. She hadn't even known his name in all the time they'd been together. Her brief relationship had been more a rebellion of the strict Koorime ways; there hadn't been any time to go beyond that.

_'I wonder. What would have happened had I stayed?'_

She sighed inwardly and brought herself back to the present. They had to eat quickly before another demon caught wind of the cooking meat. Most demons were carnivorous and would be attracted to the smell and though she had recovered most of her strength since the birthing, she didn't want to tempt fate. Hina knew she wasn't the strongest demon out there. Her own son was already showing signs of being a stronger demon than she, and he was just _born_.

They quickly finished off the meal, packing a few strips for future times, and left the clearing. She was traveling to a known opening in the dimensional border and it would still take a few days until they arrived. Anything could happen between now and then even _with_ all precautions taken and hazards avoided.

Then her fears were confirmed.

Only a day from the border, Yukina and Hiei walking beside her, and they were attacked. The area was treacherous enough- a sheer cliff to one side and plants that sometimes preyed upon demons instead of the other way around- that a battle was ill advised so Hina had thought it safer than the other paths. While that was true, it also meant that any demons that were planning an ambush were more likely to look to that road before the others.

A tall demon, reptilian in appearance, stalked steadily towards their group. When it looked like he wasn't keen on passing them by, Hina pushed the twins behind her and pulled out her sword.

She narrowed her eyes and began to concentrate her youkai in preparation and so wasn't completely caught off guard when she was rushed.

"_Hiei_. _Yukina_. Guard our supplies and seek cover!" That strict warning out of the way, Hina grit her teeth and pushed forwards to meet the charging demon head-on.

What she failed to do was look for other enemies. The demon attacking was merely a distraction for the bandits who had been in waiting.

The second the twins had backed off to the side harsh hands reached out of the tree-coverage and pulled them further in.

At her children's cries Hina let out a horrified gasp and barely brought up a weak defense when the next attack came.

_'No. I won't let this happen, we've come too far for it to end this way!' _

A frost-blue aura surrounded the ice-maiden. Her weapon dropped from raised hands and the area began to freeze over. Gale force winds shook the trees lining the path and her attackers felt their blood beginning to slow in their veins.

Hina shot to the demon she'd been fighting and plunged an ice-encased fist through his heart. She wrenched it out and turned her youkai-infused gaze on the other demons that had dared to lay a hand on her children.

She was on them in an instant, metal sword replaced by one of ice that sliced through the throng of enemies in her desperation to get to Hiei and Yukina.

Out of the twenty who had attacked them, five had already been taken out. The two captured children watched in awe as their mother fought with a fierceness they hadn't ever seen before.

That was as far as Hina got though. A demon snuck up from behind and struck the back of her head brutally, sending her into unconsciousness and ending the frozen storm surrounding them.

_'I've failed...' _The terrified eyes of her children were the last things she saw before fainting. But... Hiei appeared to be _glowing_.

Yukina gasped when she saw her mother fall to her knees, blood welling up and staining the back of her head. She began to cry softly, releasing a few priceless gems and then biting her lip to try and stop herself. Even at this age a Koorime knew to hold back the tears.

She sensed her brother's youkai then and sharply turned her head to look at him. Her tears immediately dried and she found herself speechless when she took in the growing aura around him.

His eyes seemed to shine even more brightly than their mother's with his unsuppressed youkai and he turned a paralyzing glare to the demons that had hurt them.

The bandits cowered at the raw power flowing forth from the small child, unable to comprehend the strength being released.

Fangs bared in a wild snarl, Hiei sent his youkai spiraling out in sharp spears to burrow themselves into his enemies' chests.

He didn't speak- to threaten or to mock- his mind was to far gone in the sudden rage. The most he was capable of were animalistic growls and soft hisses.

He pursued the fleeing demons out onto the ledge overlooking a swift river and, with a flex of his youkai, blew them off and into the watery depths. Only two remained from the original group and he turned to meet them. They held more power than the other minions and had managed to either avoid or deflect Hiei's attacks.

A blade of fire formed around his hand and he charged at the nearest demon managing to kill it with the unexpected move. The other was not so easily fooled and brought his own sword out. He slowly pushed the child demon back towards the edge. Hiei stumbled, energy beginning to diminish as fear set in and his mind returned, and felt himself falling off the cliff. The demon smirked in satisfaction, turning to collect the captured Koorime, when a flare of youkai swelled up from behind him. He didn't have time to turn when a flaming sword burst through his stomach.

Hiei grinned savagely when he killed the last bandit, hand still buried in its flesh. He tried yanking it out when the body began to fall backwards to the edge. It was stuck.

A bolt of fear shook him, feeling like ice had shot down his spine, and they toppled over the edge towards the rushing water below.

He heard a cry from the cliff above him and saw Yukina desperately holding her hand out as if to catch her falling brother. But the both knew it was no use. Her tears followed him down, disappearing into the water with him.

And Hiei was separated from his family.


	3. Chapter 3

_Can't find him. Have to find him. Where did he go? They took him from me!_

_The child wreathed in fire stepped further and further away from her. His steps faltered and he fell over the edge. _

_Someone screamed. It was her._

Hina jolted awake, holding back the scream that was fighting to get passed her lips.

She groaned and clutched her head when the nausea hit and tried to remember why the back of it hurt so badly.

That was when her daughter's hesitant questions registered with her.

"Mother, are you okay now?" Yukina reached out and grasped her mother's sleeve to get her attention.

Hina sent her youkai through her body and nodded when she sensed the results, "Yes, I think so. It's just a rather large bump that will go away with time."

Yukina let out a choked sigh and hugged her mother, letting all the worry she'd been feeling out now that she wasn't alone.

The elder Koorime looked around then and gently pulled her daughter's face back from the folds of her clothes, "Yukina, where is your brother. And what happened after I was knocked unconscious?"

She realized that might have been the wrong question to ask when Yukina burst into dry sobs, "Yukina. What happened? _Where is Hiei_?" She could feel the panic take her and began struggling to rise.

"He's gone, Mother." Yukina burst out, "He fell over the cliff and into the water."

She sniffled, "He beat all the demons, but the last one got him!"

_No! Nononononono_

Hina jerked her head around, looking for familiar surroundings. She _needed_ to get back to the cliff.

"Yukina, where is the cliff?" Yukina pointed. Hina grabbed her hand and started running in the direction she'd been shown, unable to believe she might have lost her only son.

_The only son the Koorime have ever had._

The forested area they'd been ambushed at was evident by the bodies of the felled demons, nothing but bones now since exposed to the harsh elements of the Makai.

Hina rushed passed them, not noticing the bodies except to mark where they were at as obstacles in her path.

The forest abruptly ended and with it Hina's energy. Her head hurt more than ever and she stumbled her way to the cliff side and collapsed at the broken off ledge, staring with unseeing eyes at the white waters so far below.

She didn't notice when Yukina sat next to her, nor when her tears fell, taking the same path Hiei had.

_'The only son the Koorime race has ever had is gone now.'_

The sun was setting when she finally came back to herself. Her tears long dried, the Koorime stood and backed away from the cliff.

The two youkai traveled back to where they'd left their supplies and Hina hefted both of the sacked luggages before beginning the walk back down the path. They still had to reach the portal to Ningenkai or she'd risk losing Yukina as well. She couldn't handle the loss of both children.

The trek was silent. Hina could only think about how close they'd been from their destination and Yukina simply wanted to hold her mother's hand and feel the reassuring squeeze back.

They reached the portal by nightfall and Hina heaved a weary sigh. So close. They had been so close.

"Mother."

Hina looked down at Yukina when she heard the soft question, "What, Honey?"

"He's still alive," Yukina clutched at her chest with tiny fingers, earnest eyes seeking to make her mother believe her words.

Hina's first impulse was to yell at her daughter for bringing up something that couldn't possibly be true but she reined it in, "How do you know this, Yukina?"

Yukina chewed her lower lip, eyes lowering introspectively, "He's- I can feel that he's alive. I would know when he dies because I can feel it."

She raised her eyes back up, "Do you understand?"

Hina smiled. She'd heard of this before. Twins in the Makai shared a psychic bond that transcended understanding, "Yes. Yes I do. Now come, we must make it to the Ningenkai quickly. Then, I will return and find our Hiei."

The constantly flashing lightning of the Makai sky highlighted the ragged edges of the portal. The surroundings were empty of life and the ground before the two Koorime was barren rock.

Hina still remained wary. This seemingly harmless area could easily hold unseen dangers that she was unwilling to risk when the costs were so potentially high.

She set her baggage down and removed only the sword. They wouldn't need the excess supplies in the Ningenkai. She strapped the weapon at her side and stooped to pick up Yukina and place her securely on her back.

Hina's eyes traced the way to the portal, "Yukina, you must hang on to me tightly and no matter what don't get separated."

She felt Yukina nod and began a mad dash towards their salvation, sending frantic glances at her surroundings as she felt the adrenaline take over.

_Pleasepleasepleaseplease_

The mantra begging in her head matched the pounding blood in her ears and she felt fevered as they drew closer to the portal.

One more step and finally a leap and-

She gasped in stark relief when the electric energy enveloped her body and sang throughout her senses. Then the warped plane of the in-between area of the portal appeared and she nearly started crying again.

The demoness wasted no time and flung herself forwards into the darkness, space and time having different dimensions lending weightlessness to her body. She was essentially flying through the portals.

Yukina's breathless awe echoed in the endless void and Hina smiled and explained the unvoiced question, "This is the area between the two portals we must pass through before we get to the Ningenkai. Gravity doesn't exist except when we will it to."

"Will it take us long?"

Hina gently took her daughter from her back and held her by her hand at her side. She glanced down to see curious red eyes blinking up at her and couldn't keep the smile from forming.

"No, only a few more moments, or so I've heard." As if to confirm her speculations, a faint golden glow appeared in the distance and she could just barely make out what looked like a crosshatch barrier.

She frowned and continued until they reached the fencing and touched down before it.

"Stay here while I see what this is," Hina instructed.

Yukina watched as her mother closed the space to the barrier and carefully reached out a hand.

Hina sent out her energy into her hand and settled it near the golden sparks of energy. When nothing jumped out at her as dangerous she slowly passed her fingertips just over the edges and, finally, straight through the lines.

Nothing. She nodded to Yukina and clasped her hand again as they both went past the harmless barrier. They jumped back into the air and began moving forward again, Yukina sending looks back at the odd obstacle growing further away.

The end appeared suddenly and neither had time to react before they were pitched through the exit portal and tossed to the ground. Hina had just enough time to hug her child close before their impact.

"_Ah_!" Her eyes clenched shut and the jarring sensation of her shoulder and hips meeting the ground sent her teeth clacking together and she could taste blood from what could only be her newly split lip.

When no more movement was forthcoming, Hina hesitantly unclenched her eyes and sat up, releasing Yukina as she did.

They'd made it.


End file.
